BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has welcomed a set of key energy efficiency laws that are being adopted by the Georgian parliament, Trend reports citing Georgian media.
As reported, the two bills, including the Law on Energy Efficiency and the Law on Energy Performance of Buildings are important milestones for Georgia in meeting its requirements under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), as well as its membership of the Energy Community, an international agreement that brings the European Union and its neighbors together to create a pan-European energy market.
These laws will enable Georgia to realize energy savings of 14 percent by 2025, thereby helping the country to meet its international obligations in combating climate change, increase its energy security and strengthen its energy links with the EU. In addition, these laws will help improve the energy performance standards for new constructions and building retrofits in line with EU standards, said the report.
The initiative that paved the way for these laws was conceptualized in late 2015, when the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development started working on a draft of the first National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) with the EBRD. This work benefited from support from the Swedish International Development Agency.
The NEEAP addressed challenges such as reducing the economy’s energy intensity, while allowing for continued economic growth and compliance with the country’s international commitments. It was a set of measures that Georgia needed to undertake in order to improve its energy efficiency, and provided a roadmap to the adoption of these two new laws which were drafted with support from the EBRD and the Energy Community Secretariat.
“This is an outstanding achievement for Georgia. The legislation opens new investment opportunities with greener technologies while boosting the usage of energy from ecologically cleaner sources. Emissions reduction and climate mitigation are a big part of the EBRD’s strategy going forward,” said EBRD Regional Director for the Caucasus Catarina Bjorlin Hansen.
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